Cooling device for ironing machines



Nov. 25, 1947.

W. J. ASHER COOLING DEVICE FOR IRONING MACHINES inal Filed Feb. 23, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l NOV. 25, 1947. w, J, ASHER 2,431,448

COOLING DEVICE FOR IRONING MACHINES Original Fi-led Feb. 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 25, 1947 UNITE-D S TAT ES T F F I' Q E 2,431,443 COOLING pEvIcEFoR'IRoNiNG*MKCHINES William J. Asher; Colorado SpringsyCold Original application Febi'ufa fy.23, 193s, seem;

192,155. Divided and this applicatiohJun'e 30, 1944, Serial No. 542,890

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to ironing machines and has for itsobject the provision of an ironing machine having an improved work delivery mechanism by means 'of which cooling of the freshlycompletedwork'is faoilitated.

In ironing machines of types heretofore designed, suggested and actually used diflicultyhas frequently been experienced in handlingthe work as it is delivered due to its-high temperature and considerable volume. This is particularly true of ironing machines of the apron and cylinder type having large capacity. In accordance with the present invention a delivery mechanism is provided which receives the work immediately upon the completion of the ironing operation delivery mechanism is particularly useful with ironing machines of the cylinderand a'pr'ontype, it may nevertheless be employed, as will be apparent to one skilled in'the art, in association with ironing machines which differ widelyin design. This application is a division of my prior application, Serial -No. 192,155, filed February 23, 1938, now Patent --Number 2,394,421, granted February 5. 1946. I

In the accompanying drawings one einbo'dimerit of the invention is disclosed-by way of example, the machine illustrated being of the cylinder and apron type and primarily designed for pieces of work of large size such as sheets and the like.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows in side elevation one end of the ironing machine, the end shown being the delivery end;

Figure 2 is a generally similar view on a slightly larger scale, the supporting frame of the machine having been omitted in order that the cylinder, apron, and pressure and guide rolls may be more clearly perceived;

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

2 'rhe bylin'd'erjof *th'e irbiiing machine is indi- "Gated at lll ih 'the drawings ana'm the particular machine 'sh'own, this' i's t'h'e second cylinder of a two-cylinderrn'achihe, the first cylinder not having been illustrated. It is mounted for rotation abouta lior i'zoiitalaxis and the apron which tux-lotions to hold the workfbeing subjected to the ironin operation in contact with its cylindrical surface, as the cylinder is I revolved in the dilec tih df the arrow A, is indicated at l I. Portion of theendless "apro'n' 'which is associated with the first ironing cylinder, and "which coopcrates with the apron 11' in the transmission of goods from the first-cylinder to thesecon'd 'cylihd'h' is illdicaited at F2; A Series'0'f 'gl1ide and pressure rollers are'ihdicated at 13, l4, "I5, I 6, 1 1 and &8, respectively, the ends of these rollers bing supporte'd :ror free rotation upon beari'n'g's mou'ritedinpairs of transversely spaced piv- -'otaily -suppoi-ted bracket members ofwhich those indicated at '49, =20, 21, 2-2, 23, and 24, Tespe'ct ively "are illustrated inthe drawings. Each "set or bracket members just mentioned is connected to a rir'ig' member '25' by connecting elements Hi-Which in'clude heli'cal springs, So that the force engines-to eecn guide and pressure roller, and t'ending t'o dra'vv'tlie same toward th'e'axis of the ey1inder m,;may 'beyari'ed --by rotating the rings 25 about the' aii-is of the-drum. Apron moves in "the direction or the arrow B and additional guide rollers for this apron are indi cated at 30, 3|, 32 and 33. A dofiing b'ariSin- -dicated at 34 and dofii'n'g blades for removing from the surface of the cylinder any-pieces of work which maytehd' to'olihg theret'o'are indicated at-35.

JIt will be observed that the apron |l leaves the cylinder ID :as it'pass'es around the pressure and guide roller l8 and that, as it moves from roller Hi to guide roller 30, it passes along a generally horizontal reach. Immediately below and to the right of the guide roller 30 is a shaft 36 which comprises a guiding and driving shaft. This shaft, together with the doffing bar 34, supporting a plurality of parallel tapes 31, these tapes alternating with the dofllng knives 35 as most clearly shown in Figure 3. Shaft 36 has mounted on one end thereof a sprocket 33, most clearly perceived in Figure 5, and sprocket 38 is operatively connected by means of a chain 39 with a smaller sprocket 40 on the end of a guide roller 4| for the apron I2. Guide roller 4| is driven by the apron l2 and, as aprons H and I2 move at substantially the same linear velocity, the angular velocity of roller 4|, and hence the angular velocity of tape driving shaft 36, bears at all times a definite relationship to the linear velocity of apron I I.

The driving means is so designed that the series of tapes 3'! are driven in the direction of the arrow C (Figure 2) but at less linear velocity than the apron II is driven, for instance, at one-third of the velocity of apron I I. As a result of this the work, in the form of sheets or the like which is either delivered onto the upper reaches of the endless tapes 3'! by the dofiing blades 35, or falls downwardly from the lower surface of the generally horizontal reach of apron I I between pressure roller I8 and guide roller 30, moves forwardly at much less velocity than that at which it has moved around the cylinder I0 during the ironing operation. Instead of lying fiat on'the tapes, therefore, it is caused to assume a serpentine or folded form, as indicated at W in Figure 2, approximately one-third of the length of each piece of work being in contact with the upper surfaces of the delivery tapes 3'! and two-thirds being piled up as shown, in the event that the tapes move at one-third of the speed of the apron II. The velocity of movement of the work toward the delivery table 42 is, therefore, considerably retarded and the work is caused to assume a form which facilitates access of cooling air to all of its surfaces and thus speeds up the rate of cooling. When it reaches the delivery table, therefore, it is relatively cool and may be handled by an operator without difficulty,

As previously explained, the improved delivery means may be utilized with machines which do not embody rotatin cylinders, an arrangement of delivery tapes or the equivalents thereof, operating at comparatively low speed or linear velocity, being applicable to various other types of ironing mechanisms, To facilitate dislodgment from the apron I I of any goods tending to adhere thereto so as not to fall on the tapes 31 a tapping bar 44 is provided, together with means for periodically causing this bar to strike the upper surface of the apron II, just after it reaches the v guiding and pressure roller I8. This bar 44 com- 4 veyor having a movable goods-receiving surface and a device for advancing such surface in the direction of movement of the goods being delivered thereon but at less linear velocity, whereby the goods are folded as they are deposited upon such surface, to facilitate cooling.

2. In an ironing machine, in combination, mechanism for subjecting goods to be ironed to heat and pressure while advancing such goods to a point of discharge, and mean for receiving such ironed goods discharged from the machine, said means comprising a plurality of spaced parallel endless tapes the upper reaches of which constitute goods-receiving members, and a tapeadvancing device for moving the upper reaches of such tapes in the direction of movement of the goods being delivered thereon, but at less linear velocity, whereby the goods are folded as they aredeposited upon such members, to facilitate cooling.

3. The method of cooling freshly ironed goods which comprises discharging such goods in sheet form edgewise upon a surface moving in approximately the same direction as the goods delivered but at less velocity, whereby each such delivered article is loosely folded, the folds extending'normally to the direction of movement of such surface, circulation of air over the surfaces of the goods being facilitated.

4. In an ironing machine, in combination, a cylinder, an apron associated with the cylinder, means guiding the apron as it leaves the cylinder in such manner that it moves along a generally horizontal path with its work-engaging face turned downwardly, an endless conveyor having a generally horizontal reach directly underlying the generally horizontal reach of the apron referred to, and means for advancing the apron and conveyor so that the horizontal reaches thereof move in the same direction but at different velocities, the conveyor speed being less than that of the apron so that goods falling from the apron onto the conveyor are folded.

WILLIAM J. ASHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 495,310 Crawford Apr. 11, 1893 944,281 Rothschild Dec. 28, 1909 1 1,804,097 Hahn May 5, 1931 2,021,975 Wrigley et al Nov. 26, 1935 2,036,769 Myers Apr. 7, 1936 2,314,431 Strike Mar. 23, 1943 

